Op-Ed: New iPad maybe worth it for AT&T, Verizon customers

Because AT&T and Verizon are creating new LTE 4G networks, and because tablets might be the new laptops, ordering one of Apple's third generation LTE-enabled, graphically-advanced iPads might seem a tech-savvy move, or even a must.

But the new iPad's enhancements, while impressive enough to stir many second and third glances, do not add up to revolutionary, I opine -- and so do some expert tech reviewers. So, why rush to buy one?

Recently Digital Journal reported many of the new iPad's details and Apple's announcement that the tablet computer will go on the market March 16 with a starting price of $499 for the 16GB version.

Comparing the iPad 2 with the third-generation iPad (officially un-named, but unofficially and widely dubbed iPad 3, iPad HD and "the new iPad"), CNNTech and Slashgear reported the one significant difference, besides LTE capability, is the new iPad 3's ultra-high 2048 x 1536 pixel screen resolution that Apple has termed "Retina Display" -- and this technology should not be confused with the unrelated "virtual retinal display" technology that produces floating images by projecting directly onto users' retinas.

The new iPad's high-definition Retina Display is super-vivid because it boasts 3.1 million pixels too small for human eyes to distinguish under most circumstances, giving images a sharper, more natural look than screens with lower resolutions, Discover Magazine's Bad Astronomy science blogger explained, doing the math to verify Apple's claim.

But, according to Slashgear, this added feature is not Siri, the voice recognition and multi-tasking software Apple introduced with the iPhone 4S.

While considering the LTE 4G upgrade as a main attraction of the new iPad, remember: Exceeding the limits of AT&T's and Verizon's data plans (here outlined by TechCrunch) could sting with unplanned-for overage fees iPad HD users who spend even a few hours per month enjoying the device's enticingly enhanced screen resolution by streaming videos, unless they stick to WiFi for movie watching.

Already many users of earlier iPads have chosen WiFi-only units because biting off more data than one intended to swallow is easier using a tablet than a smartphone, according to FirstPost.Technology.

But purchasing a WiFi-only iPad 3 would eliminate a key, touted improvement, so the tablet's engaging Retina Display would have to be all-important to those buyers.

Now, and for two to three years, only Verizon and AT&T data plan customers' new iPads will browse the Net at LTE 4G speeds anyway, and only if they live or travel where the super-speedy service is available, while the two rival companies continue gradually deploying their upgraded networks (and Sprint works to catch up), InformationWeek Mobility pointed out.

Because LTE 4G will take years to deploy, and because finding and fixing the inevitable glitches in the new iPad will take months, I recommend -- along with a Mashable Tech blogger -- that most tablet enthusiasts and all first-time tablet purchasers, pause, relax and sit this one out, or shop around for cheaper deals on high-quality older versions.

Computer sellers might begin running sales on iPad 2s soon, and clusters of attractive ads for all kinds of tablet computers could start popping up on eBay and Craigslist after the usual crowds of hard-core early-adopters fail to resist springing for shiny new, luridly glowing iPad HDs.

This opinion article was written by an independent writer. The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author and are not necessarily intended to reflect those of DigitalJournal.com